dvon1981

Hi all,

I'm at a point in my career where I can now afford to buy the car I want vs settling for something.

I want a 4 door sedan with awd and and manual transmission in the $40K range. Looking at what's out there that leaves me with the A4 and 328xi.

For anyone who also looked at the 328xi what made you choose the A4 instead?

ThePiombino

Way too many Bimmers on the road. Plus the A4 interior rapes the BMW interior, IMO. I also felt like the A4 gave more bang for buck when similarly equipped.

dvon1981

The pricing is definitely something I'm looking at. I'm going to test drive next weekend but on paper the BMW is about $2K more for similar equipment.

Adrian2401

Hi. I have owned 5 BMWs in the past 4 years. X3, X5 x 2, 330i and 335i. In my opinion, BMWs are way too problematic.

BMW has done a great job in creating probably the best driving car in the 3 Series...Until the new 2010 Audi A4. So here is my humble opinion after experience w/ both brands.

Exterior Styling- AUDI hands down. Even the new 2009 BMW 3 Series body is becoming very boring. The new body style on the A4 has fresh clean lines and the LED daytime running lights turn heads.

Interior Styling and Functionality- AUDI hands down. BMW interior is archaic and very boring to me. Audi's interior is quite simply a functional work of art. Absolutely beautiful inside, especially at night.

Handling-It's a tie. The BMW 3 and the A4 Quattro (even the A4 Front Trak, which is what I have) all handle extremely well. The Audi steering is better to me as it tightens up at high speeds and tight turns. BMW's steering is tight at all times.

Engine- Since BMW is utilizing an inline 6 and Audi is ONLY utilizing the 4 Cyl 2.0 Turbo engine it difficult to compare the two. But I know the 335/Twin Turbo is blistering quick and the Audi 2.0 Turbo is pretty nimble as well. At least it's fast enough for me AFTER owning a 335.

Braking- No one can match the braking system of a BMW. Audi's braking is great as well. But BMW is king here.

Reliability- With BMW, you'll find yourself at the dealership service center quite often...too often. With Audi not so much. Audi wins this category hands down.

BMW has probably one of the best MARKETING machines in the world. They know how to make you "feel" like the only car that you will want is a Bimmer. Don't be sucked in. You'll be bored w/ the 328xi in a matter of months...

I hope this helps you.

sillyuser

I am not sure that there is firm statistical evidence to support a claim that BMWs are more problematic than Audis. We had an A3 for four years -- which we loved dearly -- but it had its AC compressor replaced twice, and the flimsy front latch assembly on the moonroof replaced four (yes, that is correct) times under warranty.

My 2000 323Ci has had a leaking radiator replaced once and that's it (plus I proactively replaced the water pump with a competition grade part because of a well known reliability problem with the E46's water pumps). Me is just one entry point, of course, so your mileage may vary. Not sure about reliability of the current BMW's.

I personally don't like the newer BMW's styling, feels too fashionable and will wear out quickly in a few years, I think.

As a convenient yet capable people hauler I found it hard to justify owning anything lesser then our current Avant Quattro. In terms of handling, however, none of the three Audi I've owned - a 2001 A4, a 2006 A3, and the current 2009 A4 Avant -- comes close to my 2000 BMW. The car is unbelievably well balanced and its ability to go where I want it to is almost incomprehensible. Again, haven't driven a recent 3-series but I'd be surprised if a properly equipped one isn't similarly capable.

On the other hand there really are too many BMWs on the road and their owners often fall victims of certain negative associations. I occasionally get the middle finger from other drivers for things like hesitating at a close-call four-way stop sign (an American tragedy but I digress) -- had I been driving a Chevy Malibu I am sure my participation in any such situations would've been ignored.

Good luck with your decision. Test drive and decide for yourself and make no mistake -- either brand is relatively expensive to maintain. I personally accept it because I feel t's just natural that more advanced technology and equipment operating closer to the limits require more expensive maintenance in exchange for providing superior performance.

Ryan1524

Interior quality is much nicer. I sat in a 328 and it felt cramped and cheap.

Exterior design exudes understated elegance while maintaining aggressive appearance.

Quattro > xDrive. Proven technology which is part of the engineering heritage, not slap-on feature added due to demand.

Audi company philosophy and heritage.

mart242

The wife

dvon1981

hahahhahah, so unexpected yet awesome reply

Adrian2401

[QUOTE=sillyuser;23984236]I am not sure that there is firm statistical evidence to support a claim that BMWs are more problematic than Audis.

Sillyuser, Hi, as I stated it is my opinion that BMWs are more problematic as all 4 that I owned had issues, so many different issues in fact that I lost count...maybe I was unlucky 4 times. I also stated my opinion based on the fact that almost every BMW owner that I have recently encountered have stated the same...too many neccessary trips to service...again just my opinion

ThePiombino

LOLOLOL, I laugh because that was actually a HUGE reason why I went with the A4 in the end as well. Everything I said above is 100% true, but the truth is when I asked my fiance which she preferred (and she would usually defer a decision like this to me) and she said, without a moment's hesitation, "A4, definitely A4," I knew what had to be done, lol!